Two drown in canal at Bathinda

Two men drowned in the Bathinda branch of the Sirhind canal late on Tuesday evening. While one of them was swept away with the current, the other drowned trying to save him.

Two men drowned in the Bathinda branch of the Sirhind canal late on Tuesday evening. While one of them was swept away with the current, the other drowned trying to save him.

A National Disaster Response Force team searching for the bodies in the Sirhind canal in Bathinda. While one body was fished out by the team on Wednesday, the search for the other one is on. (Sanjeev Kumar/HT Photo)

The victims are 30-year-old Balwinder Singh, a resident of Nehianwala village and 25-year-old Angrej Singh, a resident of Bhag Singh Wala village in Faridkot. The National Disaster Response Force retrieved Balwinder’s body on Wednesday. They are still looking for Angrej’s body.

According to police, Angrej and his friend were visiting from Hisar. His brother received them at the railway station, where Balwinder and two others joined them. The five then went to the canal near Guru Nanak Dev thermal plant at around 10pm. Balwinder started bathing in the water when he was swept away with the current. Angrej jumped after Balwinder to save him but was swept away too.